New mobo does not see my HDD anymore?...

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Jason Leblanc

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Jun 4, 2014
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Hey, so I've built a new PC this weekend, everything is working flawlessly. Tought, one of my only problem is that my old HDD that I am reusing as a secondary drive (main one being an SSD) is not even on the Bios or in Windows anymore. Tought, it was yesterday when I first plugged it in the mobo, I was able to access it with no problem but after restarting the PC, it disappeared. Any ideas what could be causing it? I seriously doubt the HDD is faulty since I've been using it for only 2 years and I never had problems with it before.

Specs:
i3 4170
Asrock Z97 Anniversary
8Gb Ram 1600mhz
Samsung EVO 850 SSD
 
Solution
Darkbreeze
A hard drive can fail five minutes after you take it out of the box, or run 24/7 for ten years, sometimes longer, without a single issue. How long you've had it or how much you've used it has absolutely zero to do with whether or not it's still good.

First, double check the connections on both ends of the SATA cable going to the drive and make sure there are no bent or broken pins on anything at either end. Reseat the cable and try it again.

If still no love, try a different cable. Still nothing? Try plugging it into a different SATA header on the motherboard.

No good still? Make sure the SATA power cable to the drive is fully seated and no bent pins. Try a different power cable.

Try the drive in another system. If it doesn't show...
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Darkbreeze

Darkbreeze

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Jun 24, 2014
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A hard drive can fail five minutes after you take it out of the box, or run 24/7 for ten years, sometimes longer, without a single issue. How long you've had it or how much you've used it has absolutely zero to do with whether or not it's still good.

First, double check the connections on both ends of the SATA cable going to the drive and make sure there are no bent or broken pins on anything at either end. Reseat the cable and try it again.

If still no love, try a different cable. Still nothing? Try plugging it into a different SATA header on the motherboard.

No good still? Make sure the SATA power cable to the drive is fully seated and no bent pins. Try a different power cable.

Try the drive in another system. If it doesn't show up in another system either, then it's almost certainly done for. If it does, then you may have a faulty motherboard storage controller.
 
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Solution
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Jason Leblanc

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Jun 4, 2014
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I will try using another SATA cable (since the one I am using is the one I've been using for years and its not in a perfect state.) But whats weird is that it worked very well, I was able to get into the HDD, then I restarted and...nothing!

 
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Darkbreeze

Darkbreeze

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Jun 24, 2014
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Actually, it's really not that uncommon at all. Quite often hardware that was working fine in another system either fails immediately when transferred to a new one, or shortly thereafter. Most of the time, the problem is due to user error. Occasionally though, the simple fact of moving cables around can cause something to bend or break inside the cable and it may work initially, but wiring that is barely still making a connection will often heat at the broken spot and will usually, rather quickly, disintegrate that connection that was not good to start with. Hence, it works and then it doesn't.
 
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D_Know_WD

D_Know_WD

Judicious
Jul 30, 2014
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Hi there Jason Leblanc,

I would totally agree with darkbreeze. You need to check cables/ports and different system.
If this doesn't help and if you have crucial data stored on the drive, you will need to look for some professional help. Most of the HDD manufacturers offer their own services or have trusted partners.

Another thing you can take a look at is the drive's warranty. It may be a good idea to check that out, as there is a chance it is still under warranty.

Cheers,
D_Know_WD :)
 
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Jason Leblanc

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Jun 4, 2014
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4,530
UPDATE: I replugged my HDD in another port and with the new cable. Now, it is listed in my Bios, yay! I was even given the option to boot from it(I of course made sure I wouldnt since it still has the Windows installation from my old pc.) Problem is, I cant find it in Windows now...

ANOTHER UPDATE: I just did the memory diagnostic! My HDD is now detected by Windows as well! Thanks everyone, I might just keep this thread "open" for a few hours tought, to see if it disappear again.

Another question tought, how do I delete the old Windows installation from my HDD safely? I suppose I could simply delete the Windows folder but I want to be sure I wont break anything by doing that.
 
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